Monday Stuff!

Thank God it's Monday! We really should because nothing is guaranteed. Thats why all of you Dad's and Mom's need to enjoy the activities of your children and participate in a very visible way. In other words you should know what is happening with your kids!

I bring this up after reading more about OJ Mayo and what he has been through. The newest excuse is that he was a poor kid and that's why folks were able to attach themselves to him. In many cases that is true, but it should not be that way. I know no book or journal that gives poor folks a pass on parenting and being involved in the lives of their kids. Maybe they were encouraged to let others handle this phenom at a young age. Maybe thats what also happened to LeBron (did I spell it right?) James. Maybe that's why he also was handled early on by non family members. I just wonder what would happen if these young men with potential who do not have family involvement or at the least involvement from a person or group that sees more in them than just dollar signs in the event they do not become professional basketball players?

Than all of a sudden the money comes and there they are! Dad comes back after a 9 year absence! Here comes Uncle Bob who wants to now be in charge even though he last saw the young man when he was 9 years old. How about Mom who now thinks she needs to be the one calling the shots after showing no interest until the young player became a HS Star?

I still remember the Sabastian Telefair documentary where the older son said the Mother did not want to be disappointed again after all she went through with the eldest son who never made the NBA. SHE DID NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH WHAT? Thinking she was going to get all the luxury items associated with her son being an NBA player? What about the son who did not make it? Did she embrace him or sulk? Now I know Mother Telefair is most likely a great mom who loves her kids. So is the Dad who all of a sudden was back in the life of his son. But these are the type of families that are vulnerable to being used and abused. Sebastian made a nice salary but like Omar Cooke and Lenny Cooke before him, he could be a regular cut at NBA camps. Hopefully this will not be the case. But the film should be shown at every camp in America to teach kids about life and decisions. The Lenny Cooke and Omar Cooke story would be even better!

Back to Mayo and other stars like him. Funny how in a recent article about Kevin Love and his folks, he talks about there is money in Lake Oswego Oregon, making it seem as if they were above taking stuff. PLEASE! What sneakers did Kevin's HS team wear? Did they play a few games on ESPN? I guess those games were just free games and ESPN made all the money. What about camps? Did Kevin pay to attend? How about the scholarship to UCLA? I guess because of the huge amount of money in Lake Oswego his family paid his tuition. Maybe he did not get direct money hits except for his great camp counselor work lol. Maybe he did not even get paid to be in NYC for the Boost Mobile game in Harlem NY where he was just on the scene watching the action after participating the year before. After all, Lake Oswego Oregon is only right near Hackensack NJ right lol. Maybe the real difference is Kevin knew what to accept and not accept and was able to get away with it because of the perception his family had money to burn.

But again, Mayo would not be the last person to take gifts from agents and runners. This has happened for many years. And alot of the so called clean schools are not really clean. One prominent player from the east coast went west years ago and became a huge star. It must have been nice working in that movie studio earning all that extra cash. How about all the local players from NY, NJ, Conn., Pa. who have received stuff. Heck, many HS stars only wear warm-up suits and sneakers because they get so much free stuff on a monthly basis. I wonder if most of the players in the first round of the NBA draft received some type of gift during their AAU and HS career. I also wonder if they might have just gotten some additional gifts while in college also. Is it right if it happens? Will it ever stop if it is happening?

OJ will survive and have a good NBA career. Great? I am not convinced.

Mike Jervis gets a Job!

Good for him. Everyone deserves an opportunity or 2 or 3. I am sure he must have learned from his tenure at SJU. Most of my friends really are stunned he was hired for that position. They say the ward is he was a horrible man. Well the times I saw him he was not what they described. he was a well spoken and gracious person who just got caught up in what most folks have done including schools in most major conferences. Funny how the ex coach of Baylor who attempted to hide a murder, to have a good team gets a new job. A person who many claimed always did what ever it took to succeed gets a job. This person gets the Head Coaching Job with Athletes in Action and NO ONE SAYS A THING! He was an accessory to Murder and tried to get an Assistant Coach to lie, yet he is back in coaching. Mike Jervis gets FIU and folks are screaming while a guy who attempted to cover a murder and lie is back coaching a Christian Basketball Program.

I also need to talk about the ex Baylor Assistant Coach. Poor guy does the right thing and he is out of coaching and living with his folks or in a room somewhere unable to get a job. The cheating Head Coach is back coaching. NO ONE HAS THE DECENCY to give this guy a chance. Not even the so called strong Black Coaches. Where is the Black Coaches Association? Where is that money going from the pre conference tournaments they hold? Why is this guy not back in coaching? I will tell you why, because many coaches are phony and have no backbone. Where have you gone Bob Knight, John Chaney, and Lou Carnessecca. Even young coaches who associated with him have turned their back on him. Some are even Head Coaches now. I know personally how they think and it is a real shame.